Joe's Reaction of the Week (Chris's Version): Rangers Can't Carry 8 Defensemen Forever

Over the weekend, the New York Rangers made their final cuts and officially named their opening-night roster. With Alberts Smits making the team and the Rangers opting to waive Taylor Raddysh, Dylan Garand, and Vincent Iorio over Scott Morrow and Matthew Robertson, the final roster features 13 forwards, two goaltenders, and eight defensemen.

Right now, Robertson (25 years old) and Morrow (23 years old) are the two extra defensemen not expected to be a part of the Rangers' everyday lineup. There's no question they have both earned their roster spots and are capable of being everyday NHL players. The problem is, neither one of them is going to be getting any ice time on a nightly basis given how things currently stand.

Robertson making the team as an extra defenseman is perfectly fine. While you'd still like him to continue getting reps to improve his game, he is—in all likelihood—a guy that maxes out as a seventh defenseman in the NHL. Robertson was without question one of the few bright spots on this Rangers team last season and showed he can hang as a bottom-pair defenseman, but on a team that's trying to contend, a seventh-defenseman role is perfectly fine.

As for Morrow, let's call a spade a spade. He only made this roster because he would have to clear waivers in order to be assigned to the Hartford Wolf Pack, and the reality is, he is not likely to clear waivers. A 23-year-old right-shot defenseman who has high offensive upside, was a higher draft pick than Robertson, and came from the organization that just won the Stanley Cup, Morrow would be of use to a number of teams, namely the Anaheim Ducks and San Jose Sharks.

The Rangers ultimately decided they did not want to risk waiving this player, which is a perfectly fine choice, for now. In addition to the waiver piece of the conversation, it is worth noting that Smits has made the opening-night roster and is beginning the season on the third pairing. When push comes to shove, this is an 18-year-old rookie that we're talking about. Nine to 15 games into the season, the Rangers could decide he needs seasoning in the AHL and send him to Hartford for top-pair minutes.

In this scenario, carrying eight defensemen to start the season is perfectly fine, as Smits can come and go as needed without having to worry about waivers. If Smits is sent down at any point, having both Robertson and Morrow helps the Rangers maintain their depth on the blue line. Robertson can slot in on the left side, or Braden Schneider can move to the left in order to get Morrow into the lineup on the right side.